The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday last week publicly thanked Washington after three US government agencies wrote a joint letter urging the top 500 companies in the US to boost business ties with Taiwan. The letter is an important indicator of the healthy state of US-Taiwan relations and proves that Taiwan is an indispensable partner for Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy.
The letter demonstrates the success of President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) foreign policy and the whole nation’s efforts. Taiwan is the US’ 11th-largest trading partner, ninth-largest export destination for US agricultural products and seventh-largest source of international students. Taiwanese also benefit from visa-free travel to the US.
The US-China trade dispute has been raging for more than a year, and the two are undisputed competitors. The letter’s call for US companies to support Taiwanese businesses shows the importance that Washington attaches to US-Taiwan relations.
Although China enjoys formal diplomatic ties with the US, what good does it do them? The informal ties between the US and Taiwan represent much better relations, as shown by Taiwanese being able to travel to the US visa-free.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) slings mud at Tsai, accusing her of not prioritizing the health of the nation’s economy.
The KMT criticizes Tsai for “causing misery and hardship,” but it should have the integrity to acknowledge that the policies pursued by former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) are the main reason for current economic woes.
It is not difficult to refute the rubbish spouted by the KMT, such as the opinion piece by Chen Chih-ko (陳止戈) in yesterday’s Taipei Times (“Han’s sour view does not add up,” page 8).
Just hold up some hard data to discredit slogan-parroting, potty-mouthed KMT politicians. The Taiwanese public is wising up to the lies peddled by the KMT.
Chen Kuo-hsiung is a former research fellow of the World United Formosans for Independence.
Translated by Edward Jones
The cancelation this week of President William Lai’s (賴清德) state visit to Eswatini, after the Seychelles, Madagascar and Mauritius revoked overflight permits under Chinese pressure, is one more measure of Taiwan’s shrinking executive diplomatic space. Another channel that deserves attention keeps growing while the first contracts. For several years now, Taipei has been one of Europe’s busiest legislative destinations. Where presidents and foreign ministers cannot land, parliamentarians do — and they do it in rising numbers. The Italian parliament opened the year with its largest bipartisan delegation to Taiwan to date: six Italian deputies and one senator, drawn from six
Recently, Taipei’s streets have been plagued by the bizarre sight of rats running rampant and the city government’s countermeasures have devolved into an anti-intellectual farce. The Taipei Parks and Street Lights Office has attempted to eradicate rats by filling their burrows with polyurethane foam, seeming to believe that rats could not simply dig another path out. Meanwhile, as the nation’s capital slowly deteriorates into a rat hive, the Taipei Department of Environmental Protection has proudly pointed to the increase in the number of poisoned rats reported in February and March as a sign of success. When confronted with public concerns over young
Taiwan and India are important partners, yet this reality is increasingly being overshadowed in current debates. At a time when Taiwan-India relations are at a crossroads, with clear potential for deeper engagement and cooperation, the labor agreement signed in February 2024 has become a source of friction. The proposal to bring in 1,000 migrant workers from India is already facing significant resistance, with a petition calling for its “indefinite suspension” garnering more than 40,000 signatures. What should have been a straightforward and practical step forward has instead become controversial. The agreement had the potential to serve as a milestone in
China has long given assurances that it would not interfere in free access to the global commons. As one Ministry of Defense spokesperson put it in 2024, “the Chinese side always respects the freedom of navigation and overflight entitled to countries under international law.” Although these reassurances have always been disingenuous, China’s recent actions display a blatant disregard for these principles. Countries that care about civilian air safety should take note. In April, President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) canceled a planned trip to Eswatini for the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s coronation and the 58th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic
RSS